Get Immunized

NOTE: The following is a feature story by Dr. Robert Strang, Chief Public Health Officer of Nova Scotia.

What if I told you that in the coming weeks, a member of your family could become seriously ill and have to be hospitalized? Would you take a simple, easy step to prevent that from happening? Would you get vaccinated against H1N1?

Despite what you may hear on the streets, H1N1 is still here, and we expect to see more in the coming weeks and months. In Nova Scotia, there have been 205 hospitalizations due to H1N1 so far this flu season, 720 lab-confirmed cases and five deaths. That's why you need to get vaccinated.

While there are groups at higher risk of severe disease from H1N1, everyone is at some risk. We are seeing otherwise healthy people come down with severe and debilitating illness from H1N1, and some have died.

The H1N1 vaccine is safe, effective and the best way to prevent the spread of the H1N1 infection. And now that the vaccine is available to all Nova Scotians, the only sure way you can reduce the impact of H1N1 here at home, is by getting immunized.

With the holiday season fast approaching, with exams almost here for university students, and with more people booked to travel over the next few weeks, there are many other reasons for people to want to stay healthy.

Getting sick may also cause a financial burden for some. Taking time off work may mean unpaid sick leave. Employers across the province have been watching H1N1 carefully and the recommendation for those who are experiencing flu-like symptoms is to stay home until they are well. Most people can’t afford to take a week off work unpaid – it's like spending your vacation in bed.

So if you don't want to spend your holiday in bed; if you don't want to miss your exam; or if you can’t afford to get H1N1 – get immunized.

The benefits of immunization will be felt not only by you, but also your family and your community. There are some people in our communities, including very young babies, frail elderly, cancer patients on chemotherapy, and those with immunodeficiency, who cannot be immunized because the vaccine does not work well for them. We can help protect these vulnerable people by having high rates of immunization across our province.

High immunization rates will help prevent the spread of the illness, in addition to helping protect our health care system. This will ensure that care will be available when it is really needed, either for H1N1 or any other illness.

Perhaps you're one of the many Nova Scotians who have already experienced flu-like symptoms. After all, you’ve heard that the H1N1 virus is the only flu strain circulating in the province. So naturally, that’s what you must have had.

Wrong.

Just because you've been ill with flu-like symptoms doesn't necessarily mean it was H1N1. Unless you've had a lab-confirmed case of the virus, you should get vaccinated.

At the end of the day, opting to not get vaccinated means taking a gamble. It's a gamble with your health, and the health of all those around you in your home, your workplace and your community.

You have the power to make a difference and improve the health of all Nova Scotians. The time to act is now. Get vaccinated and ask those around you to do the same.